In the sport of ice fishing, it is customary to provide or cut an opening in the frozen surface of an ice covered body of water. This water filled opening, commonly called an ice fishing hole, provides the means through which the act of fishing is performed. Depending on weather conditions and subsequent lower temperatures, the ice fishing hole can freeze as solid and to the same depth as the surrounding ice. It is therefore the intention of the fisherman to prevent or retard the freezing of ice holes during the duration of a fishing session.
Existing devices serve the purpose of preventing or retarding the freezing of ice fishing holes but do not enable the fisherman the convenience of fishing simultaneously using a fishing rod having a signaling assembly which is inserted within the ice fishing assembly. Furthermore, the previous art does not allow the nesting of a plurality of the devices for transporting convenience and easy assembly for the purpose of fishing in a plurality of ice holes simultaneously.
The use of an ice fishing device for retarding the freezing of holes provided in the frozen surfaces of a body of water is broadly known. In this respect, U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,891, issued June 4, 1974, to Homer Wootten, discloses an apparatus utilizing a buoyant housing having a passage therethrough and lids in the housing for retarding an ice fishing hole from freezing when not in use.
The use of flag assemblies in combination with fishing "tip-ups" is generally well known in the art. The general purpose of a fishing "tip-up" apparatus which includes the use of a signaling device is to alert a fisherman as to when a fish has taken the bait. In this respect, U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,287, issued Feb. 15, 1983, to Paul F. Grahl, illustrates a fishing "tip-up" having a signaling device comprising a spring shaft with a flag on the free end thereof.